Monday, July 6, 2009

The Great Outdoors (Summer Shorts 2)

Summer is too lovely a time not to spend outdoors. Like last post, here are just a few photos taken over the past week or two.. and not a whole lot more. Please remember to click on each photo to enlarge.


With a car tire as a back drop, these yellow flowers seem to glow in the sunlight.



Tiger Lilies will soon bloom - but not yet.



These wispy, purple wildflowers however, are in full bloom.




The path back home. Reluctantly leaving the creekside cedar grove.



How long do you figure before summer's growth covers up this large branch?



A peek at the water fountain in Frank's back yard, though the lattice fence.



A tiny moth on the netting of the backyard tent. We sit there some evenings enjoying nature but avoiding mosquitoes. Photographed from the inside of the tent. The moth is on the outside.

Back soon with more Summer Shorts.

45 comments:

MaggieGem said...

Once again, a lovely walk through your eyes!

Great shots!

Sarah Anne said...

Adore the first one and the last two. So beautiful.

Anonymous said...

I love to see the beauty of nature through your eyes.

Frank Baron said...

Lovely, relaxed mood in all those shots.

I'll sleep well tonight. :)

Zuzana said...

Ah yes, if anyone should be in doubt, your pictures clearly show it is
summer!;))
Absolutely love the top picture; I always enjoy contrasts.;))

Country Girl said...

Lovely to see your world from your lens, Hilary. And also good to see that you take pictures of Frank's back. I was thinking of doing a photo book called My Husband's Back: the View from Behind.

Tabor said...

Nice photos of your beautiful neck of the woods. You are having fun with that camera! Yes, husbands backs seem to be a primary theme on some blogs ;-)

Gary's third pottery blog said...

And on that path wild phlox, my favorite early summer flower!

Leah J. Utas said...

Most engaging. Your mind works in wonderfully mysterious ways as shown by the tire and flowers. Very well done.

Mental P Mama said...

Aaaaaand I am peaceful once again. Beautiful.

Maggie May said...

Lovely random photos. They are all brilliant!

Daryl said...

Oh what wonderful shots ... all .. clearly you are learning the ins/outs of the new camera ..

ellen abbott said...

Gorgeous photos as usual. I wish we could spend time outdoors here but this summer is already brutally hot with no rain (although it did rain last night...finally). that's OK. Our summers may be to hot to stay outdoors for long but we have a wonderful fall and spring and winter is usually not too cold.

Angie Ledbetter said...

Flower in front of tire is awe.some!

Lowell said...

These are all absolutely beautiful shots!

I especially like the first one -- very creative and striking!

Swetha said...

wow!! i love those yellow flowers!!
that path is like a path to heaven!

photowannabe said...

Love your summer shots Hilary. I feel like I have taken a relaxing walk with you. Love the closeup of the moth on the netting.

Prospero said...

I like the Tiger Lily shot. I also caught a glimpse of Benny next page down. Excellent.

ds said...

Oh, so relaxing. Love the first shot, and the path--makes me want to take a walk right now! Thanks.

Anonymous said...

The yellow flowers against the tires is really spectacular!

Anonymous said...

Just nice photos. A lovely post.

Hilary said...

• Thanks kindly, MaggieGem. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

• Thank you, Georgie. Much appreciated. :)

• Thanks very much, KC. That means a lot to me.

• Thanks, Frank - but I'll bet it was the rusty nail. ;)

• Thanks you, Protege. I'm always happy to see you drop by. Thanks for your kind words. :)

• Thank you, Kate. I was thinking of you and your photos when I decided to post that one of Frank. Too funny. I'll bet your book would be a bestseller... especially if you titled it "Photos I Took Behind My Husband's Back" ;)

• Thanks, Tabor. I'll probably start noticing that as a recurring theme now that you mentioned it. It's hard to keep saying "Move out of my picture frame!"

• They're beauties, aren't they, Gary? :)

• Thank you very much, Leah. That truly means a lot to me. :)

• Thanks MPM. Much appreciated. :)

• Thanks very kindly, Maggie. I'm glad you liked them. :)

• Thank you, Daryl. A few more ins than outs - a couple of them were taken with the older camera. ;)

• Thanks kindly, Ellen. I love summer best regardless of the heat, but I sure have come to appreciate the other three seasons a lot more since discovering photography. I hope you have some comfy summer days to enjoy. Thanks for stopping by and keep cool! :)

• Thanks very much, An.gie! ;)

• Thank you very kindly, Jacob. Much appreciated. :)

• Thank you, Pranksy. What a lovely way to describe it. :)

• Thanks kindly, Sue. I always enjoy when you accompany me on my walks. :)

• Thanks very much, Prospero. I'm glad you're enjoying the photos. :)

• Thanks so much, DS. I hope you enjoy your walk. :)

• Thank you, Rain. Very much appreciated. :)

• Thanks so kindly, Abe. That means a lot to me. :)

Nancy said...

Your new camera is amazing! I especially liked the yellow flowers with the hubcap or rim in the background. They gray and yellow are beautiful together. Thanks for the "short".

Anonymous said...

This has nothing to do with your post, but I have to say your sense of humour slays me! LOL That's a good Canadian saying huh? Bark....
Thanks for the LOUD giggle!
:)

scarlethue said...

Love the juxtaposition of the flowers against the tire, very nice.

I suppose you're right about the followers thing. I've just never encountered it before having so few. I don't mind the quiet folks if I can at least visit their blog every now and then, but some of the new ones don't have a profile or blog or anything. I think part of it is curiosity about how they found me too, and why they're interested in my blog.

Ana-Maria said...

Pretty photography!

Shrinky said...

Tiger lilies are amongst one of my most favourite of flowers, I do so hope you will return when it is in full bloom? . That photograph with the yellow flower in the foreground and with the tire in the backdrop is utterly breathtaking.

I look forward to taking another walk with you soon.

Louise said...

The moth is so beautiful. It seems almost transparent. The first photo, with the yellow flowers, is spectacular!

the Bag Lady said...

Great summer shots! Love the yellow flowers against the tire. And hope the moths are always on the outside looking in!

Woman in a Window said...

I am amazed, right now, with summer. How it is that we wait and wait and wait for it and then it passes us by like a warm breeze. It's a strange thing. Wonderful though. Great photos!

SandyCarlson said...

These are dreamy. Stay outside. Love everything. I will do the same down here.

Bogey said...

I love nature shots period. My favourites are those peering thru something to see the target or focusing on the target and blending out the background. The half buried tree trunk is also a great shot! I so need a better camera......and lessons!

Dianne said...

you have such a wonderful eye for framing

Rajesh said...

Beautiful shots. The blurred background shots have come really good.

Skunkfeathers said...

Came over from Frank's Remaindered site.

Got a kick out of your chiding him about 'change'; I told him he needs to balance the 'change' for the rest of us not so flexible ;)

That said, you have a sharp eye for the progress of the seasons, and the very real beauty of nature that is oft passed by, by those in a hurry, forgetting we're all running the same race. And all we really need to do is walk. The finish line is still there.

I'll make an occasional drop by, and unlike Frank's blog, I'm sure yours will be ever evolving ;) Like Frank's, not mine LOL...

Shammickite said...

You've been practising with that new camera again, haven't you? Great pictures, as always, Hilary.
I spent a day in B'ville babysitting my new grandson earlier this week. What a sweetie, six weeks old now, and starting to develop his own character already.
And here at home I'm in the middle of a kitchen renovation.... pistures on the blog soon!

Sandi McBride said...

You really are a fantastic photographer Hilary...what I loved the best is hard to pin down...the moth freely on the netting? Yes, perhaps...the pathway out of the Cedars? Surely...the defiant limb waiting to be covered with live growth? Most definitely...we have a winner!
Sandi

Tink said...

For some odd reason, the backdrop of the tire in that shot really makes it eye-catching. Beautiful photos as always.

Cheffie-Mom said...

You are surrounded by beauty! enJOY your day!

MadSnapper said...

I totaly LOVE the flowers and the tire. super shot!

SandyCarlson said...

I love the mesh as I see it through the moth's wings.

Anne C. Watkins said...

These are lovely - so peaceful. Thank you. :)

Hilary said...

• Thanks very much, Nancy. I'm glad you liked the post. :)

• Rain, thanks so much for dropping by and letting me know that you had a good laugh. I'm glad for that. :)

• Thanks, Scarlethue. I hear what you're saying about the curiosity. That's pretty normal. I just think once we're putting ourselves out here publicly, we're going to get visitors of all kinds. We just can't expect them to feel the same about being public. Thanks so much for stopping by. :)

• Welcome, Ana-Maria and thank you. Much appreciated. :)

• Thanks very much, Shrinky. I always enjoy having you accompany me on my walks. Those Tiger Lilies are in full bloom right now and I took a few shots of them today. I'll get them onto the blog before too, too long. Thanks for the always-kind words. :)

• Thanks very much, Louise. I'm glad you like the photos. I thought there was a transparency to the moth too. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks very much for the kind words and the good wishes, Baggie. I'd like the mosquitoes and stinging insects to stay on the outside too, please! :)

• Thank you, WIAW. I know what you mean about summer. It's far too fleeting. And that winter season.. it long outstays its welcome. Still, I wouldn't trade the changes we enjoy.. not for too long, anyway. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Sandy, it's a deal! Thanks so much for the kind words. :)

• Thanks very kindly, Bogey. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. I've got the better camera.. now I just need the lessons. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Thank you, Dianne. That means a lot to me. :)

• Thanks very much, Rajesh. I'm glad you like the photos. Much appreciated. :)

• Welcome, Skunkfeathers and thanks so much for the kind and thoughtful comment. I'm glad you clicked your way over from Frank's blog while it still exists. Who knows what will happen when he clicks that "Update Blog" button. ;) Thanks so much for the visit. :)

• Thanks, Shammie. I can't believe that your sweetie is already 6 weeks old. How time flies when you're having fun being a Grammy Shammie. :) Thanks for your always-kind words. I'm looking forward to seeing your renovation post. :)

• Thank you so much for your kind words, Sandi. I'm so glad you're enjoying the photos. Your warm comments mean a lot to me. Thanks for the visit. :)

• Thank you, Tink. That seems to be the shot that's popular this time around. Much appreciated. :)

• Thanks very much, Cheffie. I'm doing my best to enJOY it all. :)

• Thank you kindly, Sandra. Much appreciated. Thanks for stopping by. :)

• Thanks, Sandy. Or are you seeing the moth's wings through the mesh... ? ;)

• Welcome, Anne! I've heard a lot of nice things about you over the years. Thanks for clicking over to my blog from Frank's, and for your very kind words. I hope you'll return soon.:)

Michele said...

A pretty walk... very nice for sure.
I have noticed the moths fluttering around everywhere lately... they are even sticking to me... ewww =)

Hilary said...

Thanks, Michele. I don't mind the moths too much. They're practically fairies! :)